Top MBA Colleges to Apply After XAT: Cutoffs, Fees & Placements

Top MBA Colleges After XAT is an important consideration for candidates planning their MBA admission after the XAT exam. XAT is accepted by several reputed B-schools beyond XLRI, giving candidates multiple options based on their percentile, preferred programme and career goals.

This guide covers the major XAT-accepting B-schools for the 2027–29 admission cycle, along with their programmes, expected cutoffs, admission requirements and selection processes.

Also Read: XAT Registration 2027 | XAT Exam Analysis 2027

Top MBA Colleges Accepting 90 Percentile in XAT Exam

A 90+ XAT percentile opens up opportunities across several well-regarded B-schools, with the final options depending on the institute’s cutoff and selection criteria. 

Disclaimer: The information in this article is based on available admission and placement data and is subject to change. Please refer to the respective institute’s official website for the latest updates. 

Top MBA Colleges Accepting 80 Percentile in XAT Exam 

Candidates scoring around the 80 percentile in XAT can explore several MBA colleges across India, with options spanning management, finance, analytics, marketing, and other specialisations. 

Disclaimer: Cutoffs, fees, placement figures, and admission criteria may change from year to year. Candidates should check the respective institute’s official website for the latest information before applying. 

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Top MBA Colleges Accepting 70 Percentile in XAT Exam

Candidates achieving scores within the 70–80 percentile range can still discover outstanding opportunities that provide substantial ROI, industry exposure, and specialised training.

Disclaimer: The information above is for reference only. Fees, placement figures and other details may change each year. Candidates are advised to check the latest information on the official institute website before making decisions.

Also Read: XAT Exam Pattern 2027| Top IIMs in India

Top XAT Colleges: Programme & Admission Details

Explore the programmes, eligibility criteria, accepted exams, selection process, and latest placement details of leading MBA colleges accepting XAT scores.

XLRI – Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur

• Programmes: Two-year PGDM in Business Management (BM) and Human Resource Management (HRM); 18-month PGDM in General Management (GM)
• Accepted Exams: XAT for Indian candidates. NRI, Foreign, PIO and OCI candidates can apply through XAT or GMAT/GRE.
• Eligibility: A recognised three-year bachelor’s degree in any discipline is required. For the PGDM in General Management, candidates must have at least three years of managerial experience.
• 2027 Admission: XAT 2027 registration is open from July 15 to December 6, 2026, with the examination scheduled for January 3, 2027.
• Selection: XLRI does not conduct a GD for the PGDM programmes. Selection may include personal interviews and written assessments, wherever applicable. Category-wise cutoffs are published by the institute.
• Latest Placements: The combined Jamshedpur and Delhi-NCR placement process for the 2024–26 batch recorded 100% placement for 576 students. The average CTC was ₹31.40 LPA, while the median CTC was ₹29 LPA. The highest domestic package stood at ₹59 LPA and the highest international package at ₹1.10 crore. The process involved 145 recruiters, including 25 new recruiters.

XIMB – Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar

• Programmes: MBA in Business Management (MBA-BM), MBA in Human Resource Management (MBA-HRM), MBA in Rural Management (MBA-RM), Sustainability Management and other management programmes.
• Accepted Exams: XAT, CAT, GMAT and XGMT are accepted for MBA-BM. Some other programmes also accept NMAT.
• Eligibility: Candidates must hold a three-year bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 55% marks. Final-year candidates can apply subject to fulfilling the institute’s prescribed requirements within the specified timeline.
• Selection: The selection process considers the institute’s programme-specific and category-wise cutoffs, which may vary based on factors such as domicile, gender and educational background. Shortlisted candidates then participate in stages such as WAT, GD and PI, as applicable.
• Latest Placements: The Xuberance ’26 placement report for the MBA-BM batch of 2024–26 recorded an average salary of ₹19.16 LPA, a median salary of ₹18.13 LPA and the highest domestic package of ₹36.5 LPA. The placement process involved 144 recruiters, including 47 new recruiters, and resulted in 84 PPOs.

MICA, Ahmedabad

• Programmes: PGDM-C and PGDM
• Accepted Exams: CAT, XAT or GMAT, along with MICAT.
• Eligibility: Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline with a minimum of 50% marks.
• Selection: Candidates are evaluated based on their CAT, XAT or GMAT score along with the better of their MICAT-I and MICAT-II scores. Shortlisted candidates then proceed through the Group Exercise (GE) and Personal Interview (PI) stages.
• Latest Placements: The 2024–26 batch recorded an average package of ₹20.46 LPA and a highest package of ₹45.67 LPA, with more than 90 companies participating in the placement process.

IMT Ghaziabad

• Programmes: Full-time PGDM
• Accepted Exams: CAT, XAT and GMAT. CMAT is accepted for IMT Nagpur.
• Eligibility: Work experience is not mandatory for admission.
• Selection: IMT Ghaziabad participates in the IMT Common Admissions process along with IMT Nagpur and IMT Hyderabad. Selection considers entrance-test scores, academic performance, work experience, wherever applicable, and the candidate’s overall profile.
• Latest Placements: The placement process for the 2024–26 batch recorded an average package of ₹18.15 LPA and a median package of ₹17 LPA. The highest domestic package was ₹35 LPA, while the highest international package stood at ₹46.17 LPA.

IMI – International Management Institute, New Delhi

• Programmes: PGDM, PGDM-HRM and PGDM in Banking & Financial Services (PGDM B&FS)
• Accepted Exams: CAT, XAT and GMAT
• Eligibility: Candidates must hold a three-year bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks. Candidates graduating in the relevant admission year may also apply, subject to the institute’s prescribed requirements.
• Selection: The process includes the application, CAT/XAT scores, Video Assessment and Personal Interview. The final selection considers entrance-exam performance, academics, diversity and work experience, among other factors.
• Application Fee: Approximately ₹2,250 plus GST.
• Latest Placements: The 2023–25 placement process recorded an average package of ₹17.91 LPA, a median package of ₹16.61 LPA and a highest package of ₹40.31 LPA. More than 175 recruiters participated, including 70 new recruiters.

TAPMI – T A Pai Management Institute, Manipal

• Programmes: PGDM
• Accepted Exams: CAT, XAT, GMAT and NMAT
• Eligibility: Candidates can apply through a valid XAT score without appearing for CAT, subject to the programme-specific eligibility requirements prescribed by TAPMI.
• Selection: TAPMI follows programme-specific eligibility criteria, cutoffs and application deadlines. Candidates are evaluated through the institute’s prescribed admission process.
• Latest Placements: The MBA General programme for the 2023–25 batch recorded 100% placement, with an average package of ₹13.99 LPA and the highest package of ₹32.77 LPA. The placement process involved 89 companies and 340 students.

GIM – Goa Institute of Management

• Programmes: PGDM and specialised PGDM programmes
• Accepted Exams: XAT, CAT and GMAT
• Eligibility: Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of 50% marks. Final-year students can also apply subject to meeting the institute’s prescribed requirements.
• Selection: GIM follows its own evaluation process for admission. Candidates should refer to the current admission cycle for the applicable selection stages and requirements.
• Latest Placements: The PGDM placement process for the 2024–26 batch recorded a highest domestic package of ₹35 LPA, an average package of ₹16.27 LPA and a median package of ₹15 LPA. More than 110 recruiters participated, with 50 PPOs recorded.

Great Lakes Institute of Management (Chennai / Gurgaon)

• Programmes: One-year PGPM and two-year PGDM at Chennai and Gurgaon campuses
• Accepted Exams: CAT, XAT, GMAT and NMAT
• Eligibility: Candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree from a recognised institution with a minimum of 50% marks across Class 10, Class 12 and graduation. PGPM applicants require at least two years of work experience.
• 2027 Admission: XAT 2026/2027 scores are accepted for PGPM. Candidates with 2–3 years of work experience by April 30, 2027, are encouraged to apply for the PGPM.
• Selection: Evaluation considers entrance-test scores, academics, work experience, profile and performance in interview rounds.
• Latest Placements: For the Chennai PGPM Class of 2026, the average CTC was ₹18.1 LPA and the highest CTC was ₹43 LPA, with more than 40 new recruiting organisations. For the Gurgaon PGPM Class of 2026, the average CTC was ₹16.2 LPA and the highest CTC was ₹34.5 LPA.

XAT-Based Selection Process: What Comes After the Score

XAT-accepting colleges generally follow multiple selection stages, though the exact process and weightage vary across institutes.

• Shortlisting: Candidates are shortlisted based on XAT overall and sectional percentiles. Some institutes may also consider academics, work experience, or diversity.
• Written Ability Test (WAT): Where applicable, candidates write on a given topic to assess structured thinking, clarity, and written communication.
• Group Discussion (GD): Some institutes include GDs, although the round is becoming less common. XLRI has discontinued GD for its PGDM admissions.
• Personal Interview (PI): The PI evaluates academic background, work experience, career goals, communication, and general awareness. A few institutes, like IMI Delhi, use a Video Assessment ahead of the final PI.
• Final Selection: The final merit list considers XAT performance, WAT/GD/PI performance, academics, work experience, and institute-specific factors, including diversity criteria at some colleges.

Conclusion

XAT 2027 gives candidates several MBA admission options beyond XLRI, with colleges offering different programmes, eligibility criteria, selection processes and placement outcomes. Candidates should shortlist colleges based on their expected XAT percentile, programme preferences, eligibility, application deadlines and selection requirements. Since cutoffs, fees and placement figures can change each year, candidates should check the latest information on the respective institute’s official website before applying.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which MBA colleges accept XAT scores apart from XLRI?

A. Several MBA and PGDM institutes accept XAT scores, including XIMB, IMT Ghaziabad, MICA, IMI Delhi, TAPMI, GIM, Great Lakes, FORE School of Management, K J Somaiya, Welingkar and BIMTECH, subject to programme-specific eligibility criteria.

2. Do I need to apply separately to colleges after registering for XAT?

A. Yes. Registering for XAT does not automatically complete the application process for individual colleges. Candidates may need to apply separately to institutes and complete their respective application requirements before the specified deadlines.

3. Is XAT enough for admission to MICA?

A. No. MICA accepts CAT, XAT or GMAT scores along with MICAT. Candidates are then evaluated through the institute’s selection process, including Group Exercise and Personal Interview.

4. What happens after the XAT result?

A. The selection process varies across institutes. Shortlisted candidates may have to participate in stages such as Written Ability Tests, Group Discussions, Personal Interviews, Video Assessments or other institute-specific evaluation rounds before the final admission decision.

5. Are the XAT cutoffs mentioned for colleges official?

A. Not necessarily. The percentile bands mentioned in this article should be treated as indicative planning references unless the institute has officially published its cutoff. Candidates should check the latest cutoff and admission criteria released by each college before applying.